DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES

Economic geology is branch of geology that deals with economic minerals and ores. This course is developed to understand the distribution of ores and ore forming processes. Ore is a natural occurrence of a rock or sediment that contains sufficient minerals with economically important elements. However, the ore or mineral reserve is the part of an measured resource that can be mined economically. Ore can be result of sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic,  and/or hydrothermal origin. The distribution of ore deposits need geological, geophysical and geochemical prospecting and dominantly controlled by plate tectonics.

1. To help students understand the types, distribution and origin of ore/mineral deposits.
2. Secondly, to guide students in order to decipher various ore exploration techniques that could help to bridge the future demand of local and international market.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

This course is designed to acquire the knowledge about the formation of various types of economic mineral deposits and their significance. This will help the students to understand the processes which are involved in the genesis of various ores deposits, hydrocarbon, gemstones and industrial minerals.

COURSE CONTENTS

1. Introduction to economic minerals and rocks and their classification
2. Grade and reserve estimation of deposits
3. Introduction to Ore Microscopy
4. Environment and processes of formation of economic minerals deposits
5. Magmatic segregation
6. Hydrothermal solution
7. Metasomatism
8. Sedimentation
9. Evaporation
10. Residual and mechanical concentration and metamorphism
11. Relationship of economic mineral deposits to plate tectonic settings
12. Introduction of geological exploration/prospecting
13. Brief description of economic minerals such as fuel minerals
14. Gemstones, Copper, Lead, Zinc, Iron, Gold, Chromite, Manganese, Salt, Gypsum, Bauxite, Sulphur, Barite, Fluorite, Clays, Phosphorite
15. Building and dimension stones
16. Industrial rocks and minerals
17. Radioactive minerals and rocks with special reference to Pakistan